I stopped by a store today to pick up a few things - forgetting completely about the big "convention" that is going on nearby. While I was in the check out I noticed a number of people dressed up in the deli area with badges on. So I thought to myself.........should I? or shouldn't I? Well - I just couldn't let you all down (LOL).
So I walked over to the deli to order a pop and just casually glanced at the name badge of the lady in front of me. She caught my glance so I said "Oh - sorry - I thought you might work here but your badge is different" She smiled and began to explain that they were here for a convention at the coliseum. I looked at her puzzled - what convention could that be? Well - we're with Jehovah's Witnesses. "Oh" I said "I recognize that name - I watched the show on Dateline". Well - the poor thing had no idea what I was talking about - but being the typical Witness (just like I was) she HAD to have an answer for everything. So she said "Oh I didn't see it but I heard it was very accurate and for that we are greatful" (I think she was confused and thought I was referring to the convention ad on the news the night before). So I - with my best look of shock - took a step back and said "Oh...so you DO have a big problem with pedophiles in your organization!" (of course - loud enough for the people around to hear but not so loud as to be obvious). As the puzzled look crossed over her face she then smiled again and said - "Oh - that show. Well that man has been disfellowshipped from our organization". So once again I looked shocked and said "The man who started the support group for the victims? He was disfellowshipped? Why would they do that?" She, of course, had NO idea what the heck I was talking about. So she called over her husband.
He, being very friendly, began to explain that if anyone does something wrong they are dealt with - but if there's not more than 2 witnesses then there isn't much they can do yadda yadda yadda. I just smiled and said "well - being that I have worked in the legal field for years (which I do) I know there is rarely a witness to child molestation so that would be a problem for you wouldn't it".
Well - to make a long story short - I asked them a few more questions to get them thinking, Then the man referred to the "signs" in Matthew of the time of the end and stated that they are the only organization who is preaching the "good news of the kingdom". I said "what is the good news of the kingdom?" He said "that Jesus would return and make the earth into a paradise". And I said "so....isn't that what ALL the other Christians are teaching?" The woman replied "Yes, but they don't go out and preach it - they just encourage people to be good and do charity. We're preaching door to door". (damn those other christians and all their good works!!)
Well - I could have really slamed her then with that one by pointing out that 6,000 missionaries lost their lives in the past few years because they were "preaching the good news of the kingdom" - missionaries that were NOT Jehovah's Witnesses and some of those were in lands that the JW's won't even go into because their work is banned. SO THERE! But - I figured I'd leave it on a friendly note so they would not be so quick to dismiss what I had questioned them on so far.
The good news - the man said that in the last days Jesus would call his sheep and I just might be one of those I just smiled and said that I was one of those sheep, I had already been called and had a personal relationship with Jesus. Little do they know - Jesus called me alright - right out of their cult!
Well - I don't know that anything I said will go very far with them......but I bet you that they, or one of those other JW's that were all sitting with them will go home and secretly look up the Dateline stuff - the curiosity must be killing them now!